Proof is an independent communications and marketing agency whose founding president and CEO is Bruce MacLellan, who previously served as chief of staff to the federal defence and health ministers, and solicitor general during the country’s last Progressive Conservative government (1984-1993). Proof Strategies, based in Ottawa, is its government relations arm and is led by Greg MacEachern.

Trustlab was spawned by Proof’s five-year-old CanTrust index, which provides comprehensive research on Canadians’ trust in major institutions and corporations.

“After five years of telling the unique story of trust in Canada through the Proof CanTrust index, we felt the challenge of convincing Canadians that trust is a critical issue that deserves attention, respect and resources — is largely met,” reads Proof’s website.

“Falling trust numbers — in the workplace especially — have become part of the narrative year over year. The new challenge lies in providing informed leadership and guidance on how organizations of all varieties can best build and sustain trust for the long term.”

The new firm was created by combining Proof’s communications and PR expertise and the past five years of the “specialized knowledge and research expertise in trust-building” developed through the CanTrust index, Proof says.

It will also have a Trust Council that will act as advisory body to “provide intellectual and strategic leadership to trust building efforts in Canada,” according to the company. It will compose of members of academia and business and will be “guided by the belief that meaningful social progress can only be established through the collective contribution of research, knowledge and practice,” Proof says.

Curran joins Facebook policy team

A familiar face on CBC’s Power and Politics’ power panel is joining Facebook Canada’s public policy team.

Rachel Curran, who served as a director of policy for then-prime minister Stephen Harper from 2011-15, announced Monday that she was jumping to the social media giant as its new public policy manager.

Rachel Curran is joining Facebook Canada. Supplied

“I have long been passionate about social media platforms as essential tools of democracy. They are a critical means of organization and communication, often for those who have not traditionally had a voice or influence in political spheres,” she wrote in a Twitter post.

“In the current context, where we cannot easily meet face-to-face, I am even more appreciative of these platforms as critical tools of personal and professional connection. I’m looking forward to diving into the fascinating and complex set of issues impacting Facebook’s community of users across our country, and around the world.”

According to her LinkedIn, Curran worked for two separate ministers during the most recent Conservative government, starting with a parliamentary affairs director role for the employment and social development minister in 2007. She left that position for the same role for the office of the president of the Treasury Board in 2008. Curran joined the Prime Minister’s Office in 2009.